Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Finding A New Doctor
When I found Dr. Person, it was so easy. I just knew he was the right doctor. Now I had to find another one. I could not decide what to do. I had two options for hospitals. I could stay at the U or go find a doctor out by St. Marks Hospital. (Yes there are more hospital options but these were the only two I was willing to consider).
My sister in law was a nurse out at St. Marks, and I asked her what her recommendation would be since she worked with them in labor and delivery. She new exactly who to refer, a Dr. Yamashita. He went straight to the top of my list. I also wanted to check out the U's Labor and delivery unit.
Dr. Peterson actually offered to give us a tour on our last appointment with him, so Justin gave him a call and we went up for a look.
We were really impressed with the U. A lot of it had recently been remodeled. The delivery rooms were really large, and the post pardum rooms we felt were bigger than the ones at St. Marks.
I had a couple of options at the U for doctors. There were two OBGYNs in Centerville. I told Dr. Peterson I was leaning toward Dr. Adelman, he said she would be a great choice.
We decided to try Dr. Adelman first. Her education was what impressed me the most. We also thought staying at the U would be best. We didn't have to transfer records, it just seemed like the best choice.
First Impressions
I had my first appointment set up for around 11 weeks. It was nice that everything was already familiar. Centerville is where most of my appointment were before, I was familiar with most of the staff already, so right off I was glad we stuck with the U.
When the Dr. came she was not what I expected (or what anyone would expect as a doctor).
But I instantly loved her. She was very petite, with short curly hair and huge nerdy glasses. But she was perfect. She was professional but with a sense of humor. She was like " oh! Another set of twins curtsey of Dr.Peterson. Just as I deliver one set I get another."
She was great. She explained everything, left you with zero questions. We looked at the babies quickly to check their heartbeats. Everything was great, we made our next appointment and left. We got into the car, and I asked Justin if this was someone he would be comfortable with. He said absolutely. We were totally on the same page. She was great, and we had made the right decision.
6 Week Ultrasound
At six weeks we were able to go in and see the babies. Not that they looked liked babies, but it was to make sure that the two eggs implanted or just one. It turned out there was two. The coolest part was we got to listen to the heartbeats. At 6 weeks old you could plainly see a fluttering of heart on a baby the size of a grain of rice. This was our last appointment with Dr. Peterson, it was sad because he was the one that made this possible for us, and now I had to go find a new doctor.
OHSS - Ovarian Hyper Stimulation Syndrome
I can't say I was not warned about OHSS. The Dr. told us there was a risk of this if we were to immediately implant after the 5 days of fertilization. The way to avoid it was to freeze the eggs for a couple of months, let your body calm down from all the stimulating drugs, and then implant. Seriously, after going through everything we had so far, I'm curious to know if anyone has the self control to wait two months before implanting. I know I did not have the patience.
And I paid the price.
The Sunday after the implant I started feeling a lot of pain. Gradually, and then it just kept getting worse and worse.
I went into the doctors office and they told me that my ovaries were the size of tennis balls and they would probably keep getting bigger before they got smaller. (She was right, they got up to grape fruits) But also some good news, that this probably was happening because the IVF worked and I was pregnant.
I was put on a Gatorade diet. I had to drink around 64oz of Gatorade a day to keep my electrolytes up. I did some blood tests and went home.
I can't remember exactly but I think I was in that office at least every other day for a while. The nurses all knew me and they took good care of me. There is really not much they can do for OHSS, but I also had a lot of fluid built up in me because my kidneys were not fully functioning. The only relief they could provide was if there was big enough fluid pockets they could "tap" me. Basically they would stick a catheter up to where the pocket was and let it drain. I had two taps, and a total of about 3 liters of fluid taken out. The relief only lasted about a day, but it was worth it.
I also ended up taking a bunch of work off. I would go in about 2 or 3 days a week at most. It was incredibly painful to sit or do anything. None of my clothes fit because I had two grapefruits and fluid inside me, and had gained around 20 pounds in a matter of about a week.
The OHSS eventually went away. They tell you it lasts 10 to 15 days, mine lasted about a month. I did eventually loose the 20 pounds, along with another 10 pounds because I could barely eat anything.
But in the end I was pregnant with twins.
And I paid the price.
The Sunday after the implant I started feeling a lot of pain. Gradually, and then it just kept getting worse and worse.
I went into the doctors office and they told me that my ovaries were the size of tennis balls and they would probably keep getting bigger before they got smaller. (She was right, they got up to grape fruits) But also some good news, that this probably was happening because the IVF worked and I was pregnant.
I was put on a Gatorade diet. I had to drink around 64oz of Gatorade a day to keep my electrolytes up. I did some blood tests and went home.
I can't remember exactly but I think I was in that office at least every other day for a while. The nurses all knew me and they took good care of me. There is really not much they can do for OHSS, but I also had a lot of fluid built up in me because my kidneys were not fully functioning. The only relief they could provide was if there was big enough fluid pockets they could "tap" me. Basically they would stick a catheter up to where the pocket was and let it drain. I had two taps, and a total of about 3 liters of fluid taken out. The relief only lasted about a day, but it was worth it.
I also ended up taking a bunch of work off. I would go in about 2 or 3 days a week at most. It was incredibly painful to sit or do anything. None of my clothes fit because I had two grapefruits and fluid inside me, and had gained around 20 pounds in a matter of about a week.
The OHSS eventually went away. They tell you it lasts 10 to 15 days, mine lasted about a month. I did eventually loose the 20 pounds, along with another 10 pounds because I could barely eat anything.
But in the end I was pregnant with twins.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Implantation
After the egg retrieval my little eggs get fertilized for 5 days. Andrology calls and gives updates every couple of days. The Monday following by retrieval we went in for the implant.
I was so happy, Dr. Peterson was the one that was going to do my implant. It was basiclly the exact same things as before with an IV, same room, but Justin got to stay with me and we got to see everything on the monitor.
He showed us the two little eggs implanted when we were all done. It was a pretty cool day. I also got to rest for 3 days afterwards.
I was so happy, Dr. Peterson was the one that was going to do my implant. It was basiclly the exact same things as before with an IV, same room, but Justin got to stay with me and we got to see everything on the monitor.
He showed us the two little eggs implanted when we were all done. It was a pretty cool day. I also got to rest for 3 days afterwards.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Egg Retrieval
The egg retrieval was nothing like what I expected it to be. I really did not know what to expect. But the retrieval was Wednesday, it is now Saturday that I am typing this, and I still hurt. It fells like I have done a trillion sit ups. No joke. It hurts to walk, or sit. Most of the time the only comfortable position is lounging. Don't even get me started on trying to fall asleep at night.
But anyways. 8:45 Wednesday was our appointment. I had to take a shot at precisely 9:15 the night before so that it was in my system for 36 hours before the retrieval. I had to take the shot at Justin's Grandmothers house that night. I told her I was sorry, but I had to go shoot up in her bathroom real fast. We smiled, and she said, no problem, I don't mind as long as its you. I just love her. (She also told me that night she would find me another husband).
We got to the office, we went to the room, I got my vitals checks (my blood pressure was the highest I had ever seen it, normally its really good) and got in my gown. One of the doctors came in and told me all the wonderful things that could go wrong during the procedure and made me sign a consent form (also not good for my blood pressure) and then I got my IV.
The sad part was Justin was not able to be with me during the procedure. They told me most people just sleep through it. They give drugs to help with the pain, and they said it really only hurts with the initial poke through the ovaries. They were wrong FYI.
So they put you in a chair, in the normal position for a visit to your OB. But then they move the chair so your legs are above your head. Its cold and uncomfortable, but luckily they do give you drugs quickly. They also told me I would not remember the procedure, another lie. I remember, and I remember that I was in a lot of pain. I remember the nurse stroking my arm trying to calm me down. I did eventually fall asleep because I don't remember going back into the room. But I did wake up in my room, and Justin and the nurse was there.
It then was the normal waking up from lots of drugs in your system. They gave me crackers and juice, and when I was ready we went home.
Justin was really disappointed because the doctor said I would be really loopy and fun.Wrong, I was just really tired, and I remember having a hard time trying to talk.
In the end they retrieved 14 egg, 13 of which were mature.
But anyways. 8:45 Wednesday was our appointment. I had to take a shot at precisely 9:15 the night before so that it was in my system for 36 hours before the retrieval. I had to take the shot at Justin's Grandmothers house that night. I told her I was sorry, but I had to go shoot up in her bathroom real fast. We smiled, and she said, no problem, I don't mind as long as its you. I just love her. (She also told me that night she would find me another husband).
We got to the office, we went to the room, I got my vitals checks (my blood pressure was the highest I had ever seen it, normally its really good) and got in my gown. One of the doctors came in and told me all the wonderful things that could go wrong during the procedure and made me sign a consent form (also not good for my blood pressure) and then I got my IV.
The sad part was Justin was not able to be with me during the procedure. They told me most people just sleep through it. They give drugs to help with the pain, and they said it really only hurts with the initial poke through the ovaries. They were wrong FYI.
So they put you in a chair, in the normal position for a visit to your OB. But then they move the chair so your legs are above your head. Its cold and uncomfortable, but luckily they do give you drugs quickly. They also told me I would not remember the procedure, another lie. I remember, and I remember that I was in a lot of pain. I remember the nurse stroking my arm trying to calm me down. I did eventually fall asleep because I don't remember going back into the room. But I did wake up in my room, and Justin and the nurse was there.
It then was the normal waking up from lots of drugs in your system. They gave me crackers and juice, and when I was ready we went home.
Justin was really disappointed because the doctor said I would be really loopy and fun.Wrong, I was just really tired, and I remember having a hard time trying to talk.
In the end they retrieved 14 egg, 13 of which were mature.
Starting IVF
We had a really good consultation with Dr. Peterson about IFV and what to expect, and the drug to take. We were a little unprepared for how much those medication were going to cost us. It turned out to be about $2000.
The first step is I have to take birth control pills for a few weeks to calm everything down. After that you start lupron. Lupron causes my natural production of hormones to shut down temporarily. Then we can recreate the hormones in my system with lots of injections. Lupron is just a little injection (compared to the others). I did that for 14 days before I started the others. I used Gonal F again, and Repronex. Repronex is for stimulating follicle development and egg maturation, it also has something to do with pituitary suppression.
The normal procedure is to do these 3 three injection (stimulants) for 11 days. You go in for daily ultrasounds on day 8 of stimulants.
Our appointments are usually bright and early, around 6 or 7 in the morning. So on a Monday morning, day 8, we went in and were pleasantly surprised that we were ready to go. No more injections, and egg retrieval would be the coming Wednesday. The doctor took a blood sample to make sure my eggs were mature, and sent me on my way.
The only thing I like and dislike at the same time is that at the U you deal with more than just your own doctor. I have seen 3 other doctors through out the years at the U and Dr. Peterson is by far my favorite. But he has actually never done any of my insemination's. And he would not be doing the egg retrieval or the implant. Don't get me wrong, all the other doctors are really nice. But Dr. Peterson I just prefer over all the others.
So time to get ready for the extraction...
The first step is I have to take birth control pills for a few weeks to calm everything down. After that you start lupron. Lupron causes my natural production of hormones to shut down temporarily. Then we can recreate the hormones in my system with lots of injections. Lupron is just a little injection (compared to the others). I did that for 14 days before I started the others. I used Gonal F again, and Repronex. Repronex is for stimulating follicle development and egg maturation, it also has something to do with pituitary suppression.
The normal procedure is to do these 3 three injection (stimulants) for 11 days. You go in for daily ultrasounds on day 8 of stimulants.
Our appointments are usually bright and early, around 6 or 7 in the morning. So on a Monday morning, day 8, we went in and were pleasantly surprised that we were ready to go. No more injections, and egg retrieval would be the coming Wednesday. The doctor took a blood sample to make sure my eggs were mature, and sent me on my way.
The only thing I like and dislike at the same time is that at the U you deal with more than just your own doctor. I have seen 3 other doctors through out the years at the U and Dr. Peterson is by far my favorite. But he has actually never done any of my insemination's. And he would not be doing the egg retrieval or the implant. Don't get me wrong, all the other doctors are really nice. But Dr. Peterson I just prefer over all the others.
So time to get ready for the extraction...
One Last Insemination
Before we went to IVF we wanted to try one more insemination. I went back on all the drugs that I had previously been taking, plus one more. The doctor wanted to know if we were interested in trying something a little more aggressive. We agreed because even if it was a little more expensive, and if it worked, we then didn't have to do IVF which was 10X more expensive.
Dr. Peterson had me do a few injections of Gonal F. Gonal F is the hormone FSH that helps stimulate healthy ovaries to produce eggs.
We were really hopeful for this round. One Sunday I was curious to know if I was ovulating. With all these months of failure something had to be wrong. So I just took a test for the heck of it. It ended up being positive! I pretty much freaked out, called the nurse on call, and they had me rush in to get an ultrasound.
I drove over to the church and picked Justin up so we could ride up to the clinic.
During ultrasounds what they do is measure the size of the follicles, and record how many are growing. I had a ton! and they were big! But unfortunately that is not a good thing in this case. The University won't do an insemination if there is a chance of a crazy amount of multiple births. So they shut me down. They gave me a form of progesterone and said sorry. That was a really awful day. I don't think Justin knew how to calm me down. I just cried and cried. I cried in the doctors office, in the car, at the pharmacy, on the car ride home, and more at home. And a few days later I still was a little teary.
So with this fun day we knew there was no other option but IFV.
Dr. Peterson had me do a few injections of Gonal F. Gonal F is the hormone FSH that helps stimulate healthy ovaries to produce eggs.
We were really hopeful for this round. One Sunday I was curious to know if I was ovulating. With all these months of failure something had to be wrong. So I just took a test for the heck of it. It ended up being positive! I pretty much freaked out, called the nurse on call, and they had me rush in to get an ultrasound.
I drove over to the church and picked Justin up so we could ride up to the clinic.
During ultrasounds what they do is measure the size of the follicles, and record how many are growing. I had a ton! and they were big! But unfortunately that is not a good thing in this case. The University won't do an insemination if there is a chance of a crazy amount of multiple births. So they shut me down. They gave me a form of progesterone and said sorry. That was a really awful day. I don't think Justin knew how to calm me down. I just cried and cried. I cried in the doctors office, in the car, at the pharmacy, on the car ride home, and more at home. And a few days later I still was a little teary.
So with this fun day we knew there was no other option but IFV.
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